Pieces of the Soul
by argenttmccall
Summary: In a rural town in Ohio, the BAU and the Winchester bros are on the hunt for a monster targeting high school students. Meanwhile Dean Sam and Spencer cling to their childhood ties in order to overcome the looming threat of Dean's deal. 1st in Blood Ties.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello hello! My name is Kitty, although I do go by D.A. ('cause of my penname) and I would like to welcome myself to the Supernatural/Criminal Minds crossover section! This is set in season 3 for both shows; Supernatural is post Jus In Bello and CM is post Penelope.**

**Just to clarify, this is the first in a new 'verse called Blood Ties. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or Supernatural. They belong to CBS and the CW respectively, as well as the people affiliated with those networks and the shows. **

SPN~CM

"Sorry I'm late," Reid said as he fairly ran into the conference room. The rest of the team watched with mixed amusement and sympathy as their youngest team member got settled in.

"Overslept?" Prentiss asked teasingly, Reid flushing slightly as he sent a quick rueful grin her way as his answer.

"We're just glad you're here. Let's get started," Hotch said briskly, turning to face J.J. She nodded her acknowledgement before pressing the button on her remote to bring up the photos of their latest case.

"Jay Oliver, Lucy Brennan, and Shane O'Hara," she began, their smiling pictures appearing on the screen. "They're high school seniors killed over the past 3 weeks. The police department in Thomastown, Ohio is convinced they're dealing with a serial killer. Lucy Brennan's body was the first to be found." J.J. clicked the button to show Lucy's crime scene photos.

"The positioning of her body is significant," Reid remarked as he noted the fetal position she had been placed in. "Like the unsub wanted to show his dominance over Lucy by portraying her as weak and defenseless."

"What was cause of death?" Morgan asked, as it wasn't very clear where her injuries were with her body positioned that way.

"Official C.O.D was exsanguination. She had numerous cuts on her arms and on the inside of her legs. Same thing for Jay Oliver and Shane O'Hara," J.J. answered. Jay and Oliver's crime scene photos appeared next to Lucy's. The positioning of their bodies was almost identical to Lucy's.

"There's something else," J.J. added. The pictures on the screen disappeared only to be replaced by other photos.

"Is that…blood?" Garcia asked slowly, almost afraid of the answer she was going to get.

"The unsub wrote a suicide note for each of the victims on the walls using their own blood," Rossi said thoughtfully.

"'I'm sorry. I can't live like this anymore. It's all their fault'," Reid read from the screen. "The unsub's going through a lot of trouble to make these killings look like a specific suicide."

"Garcia, can you check for recent suicides in Thomastown going back 5 years? Look for ones with these specific details," Hotch asked her.

"On it," she bobbed her head once before grabbing her laptop and walking out the door.

"We might be looking for an angry relative or friend of a suicide victim. We should head to Ohio as soon as possible. Wheels up in 30," and with that Hotch dismissed everyone.

Reid was just grabbing the case files and stuffing them into his bag when his cell rang, blaring out ACDC's _Back in Black_. Prentiss and Morgan, who were the only other ones left in the conference room, looked at him incredulously. Reid flushed bright red while scrambling to grab his cell, mentally cursing the day Dean had stolen his phone to program it to play that song whenever he called.

"Hello?" he said rather breathlessly.

"Not interrupting anything am I?" Dean asked. Reid could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"You just caught me off guard with that ringtone. Never should've let you play with my phone," he muttered, walking away quickly before either of his teammates could ask who he was talking to. It probably wouldn't be a good thing to let on that he was talking to an ex-fugitive from the FBI who was now reportedly dead.

"You know you can't resist the awesomeness of my taste in music," Dean said, causing Reid to roll his eyes.

"You're such a narcissist," he replied, trying and failing to keep the smile off his face. Reid grabbed his go-bag from underneath his desk and headed for the elevators, watching with at first surprise then dismay as he realized that both Prentiss and Morgan would be riding in the same elevator as him. He would have to be careful with his conversation with Dean.

"So how you been?"

"Hmm? Oh fine, fine," Reid said distractedly.

"Really? So you haven't been staying up all night for weeks trying to find me a way out of the deal?"

"…No," Reid winced, the lie sounding very fake even to his ears.

"Bullshit," Dean called his lie easily. A surge of irritation overcame Reid at Dean's carefree attitude. Did he not care that in a few months he would be dragged down to Hell if they didn't find a way to stop the deal?

"Well what did you expect me to do? Just sit around doing nothing?" Reid snapped, ignoring the looks Morgan and Prentiss were throwing his way.

"It's what I want you to do Spence. I don't want to see you kill yourself trying to find a way to save me. It's bad enough that I have to watch Sam and Bobby work themselves to death to save me," Dean growled. Reid heard him stop and take a deep breath. He paused.

"It's not like I deserve it." Dean whispered. For a second, Reid's blood ran cold at the meaning behind the words before the anger surged in him.

"Stop it," Reid said coldly.

"Stop what?"

"Feeling sorry for yourself. We're going to try and do whatever it takes, whether you want the help or not. Because in case you've forgotten, we're like family. And if that means a lot of work for nothing, then so be it. At least we tried," Reid's voice dropped down to a whisper at that last sentence. There was a lengthy pause during which Reid could feel Prentiss's and Morgan's questioning gazes.

"Well, at least you're in a healthier state of mind than Sam," Dean's voice came out gruffer than before. "He's convinced that he's going to find the answer at the last minute, and I don't have the heart to tell him that it's hopeless. Don't get me wrong, I haven't given up. I'm still hoping to have Lillith's head on a plate soon. But my time's running out, and we're no closer to a solution than we were about 9 months ago."

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Reid walked out of there as fast as he could in order to get some distance from his teammates. He only hoped that he could head off their questions for as long as possible.

"We're not giving up on you Dean," Reid said gently, once he was out of earshot. "Maybe Sam's right and we'll find a solution at the last minute. Just…don't give up hope. Please?"

"…I can just imagine you using those puppy eyes on me right now. You're as bad as Sam," Dean chuckled. Reid smiled to himself. As long as Dean lived, there would still be hope for him and for them.

"I learned that from him, so if you're going to blame anyone it should be Sammy," he said.

Dean laughed before sighing quietly. "Thanks Spence."

"For what?"

"Nothing. Everything. I don't know. Just thanks for being…you, I guess."

"Well it's not like I can be anyone else. But you're welcome. I have to go. We have a new case to work on."

"Get to work Poindexter. Call if you need anything."

"I will. Same goes to you."

"'Bye."

"See ya."

SPN~CM

Dean snapped his phone shut and slipped it back into his pocket. Leaning back on the hood of the Impala, he chuckled to himself.

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Sam asked wryly as he walked towards him. Snagging a candy bar out of the bag in Sam's hand, Dean made his way to the driver's seat.

"Just Poindexter being his brutally honest self. Kinda funny actually."

"You called Spence? How's he doing?" Sam asked curiously, munching his way through a granola bar.

"As fine as can be expected. He's working a case with his team right now. Says 'hi'," Dean summarized; no need for Sammy to know the details of their conversation.

"That's good," Sam smiled wistfully, no doubt remembering past times with Spencer.

"So any new nasties to hunt?" Dean asked, pulling Sam out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, I think I found one," he said, opening his laptop. "Three teens killed in the past three weeks. Each was found dead in their locked bedrooms, made to look like suicides."

"Okaaay. Doesn't exactly scream 'supernatural' to me." Dean drawled.

"Let me finish. All three victims bled to death from a lot of deep cuts all over their bodies. Problem is, the police can't find any trace of the murder weapon. And all three bedrooms were barricaded from the outside, most likely to keep the victims locked inside. I'm thinking we might be dealing with a ghost or something," said Sam.

"Well, can't hurt to check it out. Where we headed?"

"Thomastown, Ohio."

SPN~CM

**Oh Dean. You should know by now that it's never easy.**

**So can you say collision of epic proportions? Or you know, something like that. It's a-coming, folks. Our beloved teams will eventually unite, but 'til then stay tuned.**

**-D.A.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well thank you to everyone that reviewed! Lets me know that there's someone out there actually reading. Well I won't keep you waiting; On with the show!**

SPN~CM

_Don't bring it up, please don't bring it up, _Reid chanted in his mind, aiming his thoughts at his two closest teammates. The team had finished the briefing on the plane and was waiting to land. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Prentiss glancing at him every once in a while, and he was also willing to bet that Morgan hadn't taken his eyes off the back of his head.

_Just calm down and make up a story about who you were talking to. That's what hunters do,_ he tried reassuring himself. Problem was, he didn't consider himself a hunter. Not really, anyway.

Spencer would have grown up with a normal understanding of the world around him, not knowing anything about the supernatural world, if it hadn't been for his mother's involvement with the murder of Riley Jenkins. Because then, Riley's ghost wouldn't have felt the need to linger around them, looking for something that neither Spencer nor his mother could give him. And that wouldn't have led to John Winchester getting wind of said ghost and popping up on their doorstep, wanting to help. His investigation, of course, led to The Incident—

_Don't go there. Not good, _Reid thought firmly. Granted, The Incident was what had sparked the close bond Spencer now had with the Winchesters. That didn't mean that he liked thinking about it.

"Reid," Morgan said gently. Spencer looked up in surprise, only to see that everyone else was getting up and grabbing their things. "We're here."

"Oh. Okay." He quickly rose and went to grab his things.

"You okay?" Morgan asked him quietly. Spencer forced himself to not react, to keep moving calmly.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" he answered. Morgan waited until the rest of the team, sans Prentiss, had exited the plane.

"Well, you've looked stressed for a while now and judging from the circles under your eyes, you haven't been getting a good night's sleep. Anything you want to talk about?" he said evenly, obviously not wanting to provoke Reid's anger. Spencer quickly ran through all his options and figured it would be best to tell a very condensed version of the truth. That would be the only way he wouldn't alert Morgan's profiling instincts.

"I'm fine. It's just been rough these past few months. I, uh, found out that a…cousin of mine got himself into some trouble. Long story short, he might end up dead," Spencer's voice cracked slightly at the end. Morgan looked at him sympathetically and Prentiss lay a comforting hand on his arm.

"Well, we're here for you if you need anything," she said.

_If only that were true._

"Thanks, but really, I'm fine. We should go," Spencer mumbled, needing to get some air _now._ Fortunately, Prentiss and Morgan seemed to understand this and let him go. He practically bolted out of the plane, stopping short when he saw the rest of the team waiting for them.

"Hey! What's taking so long?" Rossi called out good-naturedly, Hotch and J.J. looking up curiously at him.

"Ah, nothing. Morgan and Prentiss are right behind me," Spencer called to him, descending the steps and trying to calm his nerves enough to focus on the case.

_Right now, there are lives that I can help save. I just need to focus,_ Spencer thought, resolving to put thoughts of Dean and Sam on hold until he had the time to deal with them.

As he, Morgan, and Prentiss descended the steps and joined the others, two black SUV's drove up to them. As the engines were cut, the driver's side doors opened and two people stepped out at the same time.

"Agent Jareau?" a tall blond male asked. J.J. stepped up and he smiled warmly. "We spoke on the phone. I'm Sheriff Andrews and this is Officer Rowe." He gestured to the officer next to him who tipped his hat respectively with a murmured "ma'am."

"Sheriff Andrews, hi. These are Supervisory Special Agents Hotchner, Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss, and Dr. Reid," she introduced, motioning to each one.

"It was good of you to come. Frankly, we could use some help," Sheriff Andrews said solemnly.

"That's what we're here to do," Hotch began. "I'd like Agents Rossi, Prentiss, and myself each to go to one of the crime scenes to begin profiling the victims. Agents Morgan and Jareau and Dr. Reid should go to the station."

"Yeah, no problem. Officer Rowe can take you to the station and I'll take everyone else to the crime scenes," he said. As everyone scattered to their respective cars and jobs, Reid sighed one last time before focusing his mind entirely on the case. He was no good to anyone if he was distracted with something else. Even if it involved one of the closest people in his life.

SPN~CM

"'Welcome to Thomastown'," Sam read from the welcome sign as the brothers drove in. "'The friendliest town you'll ever see'."

Dean snorted in disdain. "Yeah. Tell that to those poor dead kids."

He drove into the parking lot of the first motel that he saw, although judging by the size of the town he thought it was safe to say that this was the only one in the town. Letting Sam go check them in, Dean parked the car, grabbed the bags, and stepped out of the Impala, parking his ass on the hood of his baby to wait for Sam with the key.

Unfortunately, with nothing but a couple of parked cars and a deserted-looking motel, Dean was left with nothing but his thoughts. And these days that was never a good thing.

Three months. The total amount of time left before he would be dragged down to Hell by the monster he hated the most. Of course, that didn't mean that he regretted selling his soul for Sam. When it came to his brother, Dean was ready and willing to do anything.

_Brothers_, Dean amended, not wanting to leave Spencer out of the family circle. Hell, Spencer and Sam were so alike that it was hard not to feel the same way about both of them. And he was fully aware that Sam wasn't going to be the only one devastated with his death.

Before Dean could begin some serious brooding, Sam took that moment to arrive with the room keys dangling from one finger. "Home sweet home," he said dryly.

Snatching the keys from Sam's hand, Dean unlocked the door and set their stuff down. With practiced efficiency, Dean began setting up the room for the investigation while Sam went to work proofing the room for anything and everything supernatural.

"So how are we doing this?" Sam asked. "Police, feds, or journalists?"

"Feds," Dean answered after a moment of thought. "This town's so small, everyone knows everyone, including the police. And we wouldn't get as much information if we were journalists."

Sam finished the last salt line and put the bag away. "Agreed," he said, fishing in his bag for their stash of forged ID's.

"Alright then, Special Agent…Jones. So original," Sam deadpanned, picking the ID from their stash and giving it to Dean.

"Shut up," Dean growled, grabbing the ID and the rest from Sam. "At least mine is better than Special Agent…aha! Special Agent Pitts," he said triumphantly. Sam bitchfaced at him as Dean tossed him the ID.

"So, Agent Pitts…"

"Jerk."

"…how 'bout you start with finding out why there'd be a ghost or vengeful spirit after these teenagers. Meanwhile I'm going to go talk to the sheriff and see what they have so far," Dean said, digging through his bag for his FBI suit.

"Sounds good," Sam said, already breaking out his laptop and settling in at the table. Dean quickly changed into the suit, grabbed the keys and headed out.

Driving through the quaint town, it was hard to imagine something as brutal as those murders being committed anywhere around here. But in Dean's experience, the outward appearance didn't matter because there was always something dark and gruesome lying underneath the façade.

As he was memorizing what he was going to say, Dean drove up to the station, cut the engine…and froze.

_Oh shit, _was his only thought as he first noticed the black SUV that practically screamed "FBI". But before he could turn the car back on the front doors to the police station opened and none other than Spencer Reid stepped out, only to go still in shock as he spotted the Impala, and subsequently, Dean.

As the two locked gazes, they couldn't know that their thoughts mirrored one another.

_We're in trouble._

**Oh, my poor boys. Unfortunately, it has to get worse before it gets better. But eventually we'll be able to look back and laugh about this. Just like with Dean and Sam and the Apocalypse. Oh wait….**

**Anyway, review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again darlings! Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, they really brighten up my day. And as for The Incident, you'll just have to wait and see what that's about ;) On with the show!**

Before he could even think about what he was doing, Spencer had crossed the parking lot to bend down to peer into the window…and come face-to-face with Dean.

"What the hell are you doing here?" they both burst out at the same time.

"The BAU was called here to work a case," Spencer answered tersely. "What are you here for?"

"A hunt. Sam and I think there's a vengeful spirit killing off some teens…" Dean trailed off as Spencer watched him come to the same conclusion he had.

"We're working the same case, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Spencer huffed in annoyance. "But right now, you need to get away from here. Half of my team is inside the station and the other half is on the way back. And believe me, they've all read the file Henrickson put together on you and Sam. They all know what you look like. _They can't know that you're alive._"

"Spencer, I'm not just going to leave when there's a monster killing off these kids," Dean growled.

"You don't have a choice," Spencer snapped. He chanced a glance behind him to make sure that no one had followed him outside. "I'll look for clues pointing to a ghost or malevolent spirit, but you need to go. Even if it's just to the next town. We'll meet up later, okay?"

"Dammit," Dean spat but nodded. "Fine. But don't you even think of trying to hunt whatever this thing is on your own."

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Relax, I'm not that reckless. We don't even know for sure what it is yet."

Before Dean could answer him, Spencer's phone rang.

"It's my boss," he said, checking the caller ID. "Go. Now. I'll call you later and see if I can slip away tonight."

"Alright. You be careful, you hear?"

"I hear," Spencer offered him a slightly confused half- smile as his mind worked furiously to process this latest turn of events. The sharp rush of adrenaline that had been fueled by the panic of the possibility of one of his team members seeing Dean had subsided, only to be replaced by the numbness of shock.

_The BAU is on a hunt, _was his only repeating thought.

"You should answer that," Dean nodded to the phone in his hand. He started the engine and with one last wave to Spencer, he sped away.

"Hello?" Spencer answered on autopilot as he flipped the cell open.

"Reid. Where are you guys with the geographic profile?" Hotch asked, his brisk tone snapping him out of his shock.

"There's virtually no correlation between the locations of the attacks," he said numbly, his brilliant mind already providing the answers he needed without prompting. "But we think that the victims knew each other as close friends. Morgan had Garcia check their cell phone records and web activity, and it shows they communicated constantly with each other."

"Which suggests the unsub might have been a former friend of theirs or he or she might have known them in another way. We're probably looking for a teenage unsub…

_Who was killed within the last month or so, most likely at the hands of those dead teenagers,_ Spencer mused.

…most likely a male, judging from the strength needed to subdue the victims without any visible restraints and the brutality of the attacks…

_No, Hotch, you'd actually be surprised at the amount of violence a young dead female can show, _Reid thought almost hysterically. _Especially revenants…Poor Sam still flinches at the sight of pink hair bows after that hunt in Colorado…Can't really blame him…_

…who attends the same school as the victims did."

"Y-yeah. That sounds about right," Spencer said faintly, trying and apparently failing to keep it together when his entire world might be falling apart.

"Reid? Are you alright? You sound distracted," Hotch said concernedly.

"I'm fine. Never been better," Spencer forced the words out, hoping he sounded convincing.

"Well, if you're sure…" Hotch didn't really sound convinced, but at least he let it go. "Tell Morgan and JJ we're just about ready to give the profile."

"Sure. See you," Spencer cut the connection before Hotch could say anything else. Then he just stood there, staring off into space.

_You know, you really should get back to work,_ Spencer's inner voice said to him. _Don't want the team to get suspicious. Just shove the problem to the back of your mind and deal with it later._

"Yeah, well I can't really do that because now I'm not working a regular case. I'm working on a hunt," Spencer muttered irritably.

"Reid?" JJ's voice floated over to him. He turned around and saw the blonde sticking her head out the door; he called on every skill he had to keep his face free of expression.

"Hey, JJ. Hotch just called. We're about ready to give the profile."

"Oh, okay. Hey, did you find what you were looking for?" she asked, effectively reminding Spencer of why he had gone outside in the first place.

"Ah, not yet. But I'll be inside in a minute," he said, walking towards the SUV which held his luggage inside. For once, he was grateful that they hadn't immediately gone to the motel where they were going to be staying at. JJ smiled at him before sticking her head back inside and walking away.

Unlocking the car, Spencer located his bag and opened it. He found his glasses case quickly and made to close the bag, but hesitated. Slowly, he reached back down into the bag until he managed to find what appeared to be a large textbook on philosophy, but was really a miniature supernatural kit. Inside the hollow space it contained a small flask of holy water, silver bullets, a lighter, rock salt, a rosary, and a silver knife.

Spencer never left home without it.

Usually, the kit stayed at the bottom of his duffel. But now that he was dealing with a possible ghost/ghoul/vengeful spirit/revenant, etc., it wouldn't hurt to have it with him at all times.

_Ah, the joys of being best friends with the world's most paranoid hunters._

SPN~CM

As he drove away from the station as fast as he dared, Dean grabbed his phone and speed-dialed Sam.

"Yeah?" Sam answered on the first ring.

"Sam. We need to clear out now. Pack up everything. I'll be there in 5," Dean growled into the phone. That sure got Sam's attention.

"What happened?" Sam asked in alarm.

"The feds are here."

"You saw them?"

"I saw Spencer," Dean corrected, knowing that his brother would instantly get the complications.

A beat of silence. Then… "Shit," Sam swore.

"Yeah. If his team finds out about us, and more importantly our connection with Spencer, we could get him in a shit ton of trouble."

"Wait, so are we bailing on the hunt?" Sam asked in disbelief.

"No. We're just getting the hell out of dodge. But we're meeting with Spence later to see if we can figure out just what exactly this monster is," Dean said.

"Yeah, about that. I think we might be dealing with a revenant here. I checked the local newspapers and I found reports of a suicide with the exact same M.O. as the murder victims. Apparently, about a month ago a 15-year old girl was found dead in her bedroom with multiple cuts on her arms and legs. She also left a suicide note written in her own blood, just like the ones found at the crime scenes of the murder victims."

"Alright, but that can still be a vengeful spirit. What makes you so sure it's a revenant?" Dean asked, getting ready to enter the parking lot of the motel.

"Because I managed to hack into the police files and I saw a report from last week filed by the suicide victim's family. It said that the father had to call 911 because the mother was absolutely hysterical. She claimed that she had seen her daughter staring at her through the window. She described her as wearing the same clothes she had been buried in, and that she had seen the clean cuts on her body."

As Sam had been talking, Dean parked the car in front of the motel room. Getting out of the car, he opened the door and saw Sam look up in surprise. They hung up their phones at the same time as Dean went to take a look at Sam's laptop.

"That doesn't sound like she's describing a ghost," Dean remarked, quickly reading through the police report.

"Exactly. But what I don't get is why she went after those teenagers," Sam said thoughtfully. As the boys talked, they went around packing their stuff as fast as possible.

"Revenge, obviously," Dean answered. "They must have done something to piss her off right before she died."

"Maybe they were the ones who drove her to kill herself," Sam said quietly. Dean clenched his jaw, fighting against the idea that maybe those kids had gotten what they deserved. They of all people knew that no one deserved to die that way. And they had no right to choose who they could save.

"Well, whatever they did, we still have to stop her before she kills anyone else," Dean said. "We ready to go?"

"Yeah, that's everything. Where exactly are we headed?" Sam asked, grabbing his bags and heading out to the Impala.

"Not far. Spence said to get to the next town over, but that's 30 minutes away. So instead, we're going to be camping out for a while. Get reacquainted with Mother Nature," Dean said airily, following Sam out the door.

"Great," Sam said, pulling Bitchface #3 (The Things I Do For This Job). "Sounds like fun."

Just then, Dean's phone chirped, signaling a text message.

_**Might be dealing with a revenant. There are two more possible targets, friends of the murder victims. We need to meet soon.**_

"At least Poindexter's on the same page as us," Dean said, showing Sam the text. They got into the car and started driving, Sam handing Dean back his phone.

"Awesome. So…what's the plan?" Sam asked, giving Dean the look that clearly said I'm-Trusting-You-On-This-Cause-I-Got-No-Clue-What-We're-Doing.

"I say we wait 'til nightfall. Then we pick up Spencer, and go down to the local cemetery where our suicide victim was buried. We dig her up and see if her coffin's empty," Dean said confidently.

"And if she's not there?" Sam asked pointedly.

"Well then at least we have proof that we are in fact dealing with a revenant."

"Great. And then we'll have to find a way to hunt this thing in the same small town as a group of federal agents who have no clue that we're alive, and who will not hesitate to put a bullet in us. Oh, and we'll somehow have to avoid having anyone find out about our connection to one of their team members, lest we get him possibly fired," said Sam, looking very exasperated at Dean.

"Well you didn't actually think this would be easy, did you?" Dean said with a smirk.

SPN~CM

**Ha. IT'S NEVER EASY. **

**And on that note, happy birthday to me! Tomorrow, I turn legal! That is, 18 =) So I figured that I would give myself the gift of posting the next chapter before my birthday. Now I don't have to think about writing for a couple of days. **

**But fear not! I'll have the next chapter up and written soon! And believe me, it gets sooo good! And I know a lot of you are breathing sighs of relief now that the boys are still safe and anonymous…for now.**


	4. Chapter 4

After a long and draining day at the police station, Spencer was more than ready to just crawl into bed and fall asleep. Unfortunately, his life was just too bizarre for that kind of luxury.

Dialing Dean's cell number, Spencer shut and locked the door to his motel room. As he waited for Dean to answer, he began to rummage through one of his bags until he found what he was looking for.

Before he had thought about joining the FBI, Spencer had decided to try living the life of a hunter. Dean and Sam weren't happy about that at all, but they had decided to go along with him. After all, that was the only way they could be sure that he would be as safe as possible. Originally, it was supposed to be _both_ Winchester brothers hunting with Spencer. But after the disastrous fight between Sam and John, Dean and Spencer were the only ones willing to go hunting together.

Spencer only hunted with Dean for about a year before he decided to go study at CalTech, much to Dean's relief. But in that time, he and Dean had managed to compile their own journal filled with as much information and lore about every monster they hunted. Before they went their separate ways, Dean had insisted that Spencer keep the journal.

"Hey, this is Dean's other cell. If I'm not answering, I suggest you call the other _other_ cell phone-" with an aggravated sigh, Spencer snapped his phone shut, cutting off the rest of Dean's snarky message.

He cracked open the journal and began leafing through the pages, searching for information on revenants, all while dialing the number for the other _other_ cell.

"Hey, this is Dean's other _other_ cell. If I'm still not answering, then I'm probably lying in a ditch somewhere with some sort of limb torn off-"

"I'm going to kill him," Spencer groaned. Tossing the phone onto the bed, he found the information he was looking for, quickly storing it away in his vast memory.

A detached part of him marveled at how easily he slipped back into the role of a hunter, even after all this time. It was just too easy for him to ignore everything in the "normal" world-for lack of a better term-and immerse himself once more in the supernatural world.

And the reality was, Spencer was very good at being a hunter, whether Dean and Sam liked it or not.

His cell phone rang, cutting into his thoughts. "Hey Dean," he answered. "It's about time. Where are you?"

"Don't get your pocket protectors in a bunch Poindexter," Dean teased. "We're about five minutes away from the motel. Grab your stuff; we're going a-hunting."

"Joy," said Spencer drily. Nonetheless, he cut the connection and began to round up the things necessary for tonight. Fortunately there wasn't much. Whatever he didn't take, the Winchesters were bound to have with them.

As soon as he spotted the headlights flashing past his window, Spencer grabbed his bag and walked out the door. Being the cautious bastards that they were, Dean parked a little away from Spencer's actual room. Jogging over, he leaned down to grin wryly into the driver's side window.

"You know, this wasn't exactly how I envisioned our reunion going," he remarked.

"Yeah, but you can't really say that you're surprised, can you?" Dean replied.

"No, not really. Hey Sam," Spencer greeted the younger Winchester.

"Hey Spence. You ready to get back in the game?" Sam grinned.

"I don't think I ever really left," Spencer mused, yanking open the Impala's back door. He slipped familiarly into the back seat and shut the door, not noticing the curious set of eyes that had seen everything.

As they drove away, Spencer shifted so that he sat in the middle of the back seat and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hand. In any other car, Spencer normally would have instantly buckled up and sat back. But there was something about the Impala that made him feel safe and a tad reckless.

Or maybe it was the fact that he was with Sam and Dean again.

It was illogical and completely irrational, considering these two were the world's strongest magnets for death and doom. And yet Spencer felt such a strong sense of ease with them that he just couldn't get with the BAU, no matter how much he wanted that.

The others didn't know anything about his other life and he would make sure that they never knew.

He and his teammates have one of the best and worst jobs in the world. On one hand, they get to make sure that there are people who can sleep better at night believing that there are people out there working to keep them safe. The relief in their eyes and the reverent thank-yous are what truly keep them going.

On the other hand, they have to live with the nightmares and the constant paranoia and the fear that one day they won't be going home again.

But Spencer knew that while they did suffer in their jobs, hunters had it ten times worse. There was no way that he would willingly expose his teammates and beloved friends to the darker side of his life. They needed to cherish what happiness they had in their lives without knowing about and fearing the supernatural.

"Spence. Hey Poindex!" Dean's fingers snapped repeatedly in front of his face, snapping Spencer out of his thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"You okay? You look way out of it."

"I'm fine," Spencer said dismissively. "Where are we headed?"

"Cemetery. We figure that we should at least make sure that we're dealing with a revenant before actually hunting this thing."

"…Her name was Shelby."

"What?" both Sam and Dean turned back to look at him. Spencer narrowed his eyes at Dean.

"My team talked to some of the students that went to the same school as all of the victims. Everyone mentioned a girl named Shelby Harper." Spencer lowered his gaze downward to hide his sudden anger remembering the dismissive tone used by the teenagers in describing her and her situation.

"She was being bullied by Jay Oliver and the other victims, wasn't she?" Sam asked, the sympathy evident in his voice.

"They didn't care!" Spencer suddenly burst out, jerking his face back up to face the boys. "None of them did! Not the teachers or the students. And according to her parents, it got so bad that she couldn't even leave her house."

Spencer's mind alternated between showing him the dispassionate faces of the witnesses and his own memories of his high school days. In these types of cases he really tried to keep his distance and view everything objectively. But it was hard when he had to deal with a mind that wouldn't let him forget his own suffering.

"Spencer." Dean's voice managed to bring his mind back to the present.

"I know, I know. I just need to…to distance myself. But you know how hard it is for me, Dean," Spencer said almost pleadingly.

"Spence, believe me, I know. But right now you have to be able to focus on the case. You can't let yourself think of the revenant as a person because we all know that she can't be saved. The best we can do is stop her from hurting other people," Dean said gruffly, half his attention on the road and the other half on Spencer. Spencer only sighed and leaned his head against the back of Sam's headrest while closing his eyes.

Eventually, he felt Sam's hand land gently on his shoulder. "Wake up Spence. We're here."

He blinked a few times before groggily climbing out of the car. "How long was I asleep?" Spencer asked as he stretched his arms.

"Not long; about 10 minutes. You looked like you could use the rest," Sam said carefully, watching Spencer closely. Spencer eyed Sam critically, and then gave a small chuckle.

"Sam, I'm a profiler. And I know when people are trying to do the same to me," he said, looking around and seeing Dean at the trunk of the Impala pulling out a couple of shovels and sawed-offs.

"Are you okay, Spence?" Sam asked quietly. Spencer turned his head back to face him.

"I'm as fine as can be, Sam. My job has its psychological hazards, as does yours. It's only a few nightmares."

Sam had the look on his face where he wanted to keep pressing, but luckily Dean arrived at that moment.

"Well alrighty then ladies, let's go," Dean drawled with a jerk of his head towards the cemetery gates. Pulling out a flashlight out of his bag, Spencer began shining the light on the tombstones, looking for Shelby Harper's grave.

"You guys do realize that if we don't find evidence of a revenant here, then we'll have to go back to the ghost theory," Sam pointed out.

"I…don't think that will be necessary, Sam," Spencer said. Dean and Sam, who had been walking ahead of him, stopped and turned to look at him. Meanwhile he was staring at Shelby's grave.

Or what was left of it.

Before anyone could say anything about what they were seeing, all three heard a twig snap behind them. Dean, Sam, and Spencer whirled around, guns pointed and ready to shoot, only to come face-to-face with…

"Emily?"

SPN~CM

Well. Wasn't this awkward.

Judging from the stunned horror on both Spencer's face as well as the lovely and very attractive brunette's face, their newcomer was one of Spencer's teammates.

"Emily?" Spencer croaked out. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Dean cataloged that name in his memory. Right now, however, the rest of his mind was busy figuring out the damage control needed to fix this unexpected situation.

"Reid…what the hell is going on?" Emily asked, taking in the shotguns pointed at her body. Almost on instinct she had raised her hands in a placating gesture. Spence must have noticed at the same time he did because he hurried to lower his gun and motioned for him and Sam to do the same.

"How did you find me?" Spencer asked, effectively deflecting her question.

"I saw you getting into a car back at the motel, and since I knew it wasn't with any of the team I decided to follow…I needed to make sure you were okay," she said. Emily looked glanced around and locked eyes with Dean. He was all set to deliver one of his snarky-one liners along with a roguish grin when she inhaled sharply, recognition dawning in her eyes.

"Dean Winchester," she breathed, her right hand automatically going for the gun at the small of her back.

"No! Emily, please calm down. I can explain everything, but I would really appreciate it if you could refrain from shooting Dean. He's not what you think," Spencer pleaded as he moved to stand in front of Dean.

"He's not what I…Spencer, how can you say that? You saw what he's done! And he's supposed to be dead! They both are!" Emily said, her voice rising in panic as she glanced pointedly at Sam.

"Well apparently I'm not," Dean interjected. Sam wisely decided to stay silent.

"Shut up," Spencer and Emily said at the same time. Dean rolled his eyes but kept quiet.

"Just let me explain! Okay, you know how it said in Dean's case file that he was possibly suffering from a mental breakdown because he thought he was hunting ghosts and demons and all of that? Well, he's not crazy, Emily. It's all true, everything," Spencer said earnestly. Dean could practically feel his puppy eyes burning a hole in Emily's face.

"…You mean to tell me that you actually believe in…ghosts, and stuff?" Emily asked slowly, obviously not comprehending what was being told to her.

"I don't just believe it Emily. I…" Spencer sighed and ran his hand through his girly hair.

Dean felt a deep sympathy for him. Letting someone get close to this side of their lives was always a bitch, which was why they avoided getting close to anyone at all costs. But Spencer shouldn't have had to worry about that. Cursing himself, Dean could only blame himself for dragging Spencer along with them. If only he and Sam had taken care of the revenant without Spencer, they could have blown town in no time with the Feds none the wiser. But now with one of Spencer's teammates here and effectively connecting the dots, they were screwed.

"Spence."

Dean focused back onto Emily's face, and his heart sank. She thought he was crazy. He could see it in her eyes. And the only way to get that notion out of her head would be to show her proof of the supernatural. Unfortunately, it wasn't up to him or Sam. It was up to Spencer.

He could either show her the proof, which would mean opening a door that couldn't be shut and letting her in to that darkest part of his life. Or he could let her think he was crazy, which would mean protecting her from this life, but effectively ruining his own.

"Emily, I've—" Spencer began but was interrupted.

"Oh, hell," Sam groaned, looking just past Emily's shoulder. Dean leaned to look around both Spence and Emily and let loose a curse.

"Emily, get behind us," Spence's voice had hardened as he had spotted what Dean and Sam had. Unfortunately, Emily chose instead to whirl around and stare at what was coming.

"What the hell?" she gasped. "What is that?"

"That is Shelby Harper. Or at least what's left of her," Dean said grimly. In order to get Emily out of the line of fire, he grabbed her hand and yanked her back so that she wasn't in the way. Of course that also meant that she went and collided with Dean's chest. As Sam and Spencer aimed their guns at the revenant headed their way, Emily managed to stop her nose from smashing into Dean's torso by putting her palms up. Whipping her head up to face him, Dean clearly saw the fear and suspicion written on her face even in the dim moonlight.

"You have to believe us," he began urgently, pulling them both back so that Sam and Spence could get a clear shot. Of course now it fell to him to try and convince Emily that they weren't all a bunch of lunatics.

"Why the hell should I believe you?" she hissed.

"Because there's your proof right there," he gestured to the approaching monster. "That used to be Shelby Harper. All of the victims killed were connected to her because they bullied her. We believe that since they drove her to kill herself, Shelby came back to the world of the living to get her revenge on those who made her life miserable."

"So you're telling me that the person responsible for all of these killings is a zombie?"

"Not exactly. Look, if you'll let us, we'll explain later. But right now, we can stop the killings if we gank her," Dean looked over to the boys and felt his heart skip a beat as Shelby launched herself at Sam, clearly intending to take his head off.

"Sam!" Dean roared, letting go of Emily to raise and aim his shotgun. Fortunately, Spencer was faster and had a shot roaring off that blew Shelby off target. Shelby let out a shriek, showing off her rotting teeth, and decided to aim for the most vulnerable person in their merry group: Emily.

One thing about these revenants was that they were fast sons of bitches. Before Dean could even register the revenant's change of course, she had tackled Emily to the ground and was all set to tear her to pieces.

"Oh hell no bitch," Dean growled. He wanted to make a clear shot and aim at her heart, but that would have meant hitting Emily, and he wasn't going to risk that. So instead he aimed for a rib in hopes of getting the bitch away from Emily and gaining a clear shot in the process.

Shelby was blown off of Emily, who was now writhing on the ground moaning in pain. But she seemed smarter than she looked, because when she realized that she was outnumbered and being cornered in, she took off.

"Dammit, she's getting away!" Sam ran after her, shotgun in hand. Dean tracked his brother until he made it to the gates. When Sam turned back with an aggravated look on his face and a shake of his head, Dean turned his attention to Emily.

"We need to get her to a hospital," Spencer said from where he was kneeling next to Emily. Dean dropped to his knees to get a better look at her wound. Before he had managed to get Shelby off of Emily's back, she had managed to give her a semi-deep claw mark which ran from Emily's right shoulder to just short of her spine.

"No…hospital," Emily groaned as she turned her head so that her cheek was laying on the grass. "Can't have the team find out."

"Can you walk?" Dean asked as Sam rejoined them.

"Mm, I think so. Might need a little help, though," she gasped as both Dean and Spencer helped her slowly get to her feet.

"I'm so sorry Emily," Spencer began apologizing in earnest. Emily merely chuckled and looked at him.

"This isn't your fault Spencer. And you should look on the bright side," she said, trying not to show her pain as they walked.

"There's a bright side?" Dean asked incredulously.

"Yeah," she replied, turning her head to look him in the eye. "I believe you now."

SPN~CM

**Ah! I'm so sorry for the big delay guys! I honestly didn't mean for me to put off writing the chapter, but I actually had some major writer's block with this chapter until about two days ago. But hopefully you like this chapter! Made it extra-long as my apology to you guys! Hope you enjoyed!**


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